1st Congregational Presentation

The planning, preparing, and practice have begun to fade. We've started doing the real thing, and for a larger audience...

This past week was the first of a string of Sunday services that we get to present our mission venture to the congregation and solicit support. We ask for prayer, and the pastor follows up with a call for financial support.

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It's very interesting, the more we speak to people, the more people we are asked to speak to. This is something I never really anticipated, but am eager to do. We're received a number of invitations to do presentations, lead bible studies, and give talks about our trip and on missions. Tom has already been called into service by the men's breakfast team, I've been asked to do the ladies' later this month, we are leading a bible study tonight on "how everyone has a role in missions," which Tom has prepared (and is very intriguing, by the way), and we've been asked to do again next week at another pastorate. And these are in addition to a few minor ones and one major presentation at our church already.

These invitations weren't really anticipated. I didn't think people would want to keep hearing from us. We're honoured to be asked, don't get me wrong, just a little surprised. Another surprising aspect that we didn't anticipate is the numebr of "God bless you for your work, thank you for doing this!".

Okay...Huh?!?!

What do you say to that? We haven't figured it out yet. I only stare back in disbelief.

I want to say is this:

"Please, don't thank me. We've done nothing yet, and may fail in so many ways in the things we paln to do that you'll want to retracked your thank you in the future ...What we presented today was 'the plan,' the plan that everything goes smoothly and these are the things that we will accomplish. What will happen on the ground may be drastically different than 'the plan'. Please, do not thank me, we feel so unbelievably honoured to be a part of this and to be the 'goers' in this situation. We are humbled by the support of 'senders,' which have a far more essential role than us. Without them, there would be no us. There would be no going. Without senders, this wouldn't be happening. The last person to thank, is me..." (and, becuase I'm Canadian) "...but thank you."

But I'm not too sure if that's the right thing to say either.